Last Updated on March 16, 2021
Celebrating a life often gets lost in the emotional crosshairs of grief and coping with death. It’s completely understandable. But there are wonderful ways to smile through the tears.
Take the case of the viral obituary posted by Crystal Sauser, honoring the memory – and sense of humor – of her husband, Eric, who recently died from cancer.
Hence the epitaph she wrote for her “dead sexy husband.” The first paragraph sets the mood perfectly.
“Eric A. Sauser, AKA Super Dad, AKA Easy, just a rockin’ dude from Omaha, NE, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, February 26, 2021, at the age of 43 with his wife by his side. His departure was just in time for him to make his spiritual appearance at every Red Sox spring game.”
The couple was married for 13 years, and that connection flowed effusively in Crystal’s obit.
“During his time here, he found a way into everyone’s heart. Eric loved, in this order, his smoking hot wife, his brilliant kids and family, his many friends, the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Chiefs (before being a Chiefs fan was cool), the Huskers, Liverpool Futbol, QT iced tea, Adidas sneakers, fishing, backpacking, hiking, hunting, and any old Chevy he saw on the road.”
Her tribute appeared in the local newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska, on legacy.com, and then took a viral twist on Twitter.
“I think his face is so red,” Sauser told “Good Morning America.” He’s completely embarrassed by me saying things [in the obituary] like, ‘He’s dead sexy,’ but he would be so happy that he wasn’t cookie cutter.”
Eric had been struggling with cancer for two years. He got winded after carrying their daughter upstairs to bed, and then started to experience night sweats. He was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2019.
“I’m sad because I have a broken heart, but I’m not sad because we didn’t win our journey,” Crystal said. “Eric never wanted pity … we kind of maintained that in writing the obituary.”
In honoring his wishes, she’s offering inspiration to families everywhere that much like Eric himself, grief is not a cookie cutter experience. Don’t be afraid to make your loved ones’ legacies as joyful and unique as they were, too.
